


Remember When...

by bgn846



Series: And Then There Were None Left to be Tickled [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Handcuffs, Hugging, Ignis gets handcuffed, Ignis tries to make his friends happy, M/M, Massage, Noct gets tied up, Tickle Fights, Tickle Wars, Tickling, he may have not anticpated the outcome, need a beta reader, noct was trained well, tied up and tickled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 10:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16262540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/pseuds/bgn846
Summary: Life is difficult when you're on the run, but Ignis tries to distract his friends with a fun activity to help diffuse the gloom and doom.  Or rather Ignis is an instigator and starts another tickle war years after the first one took place in Insomnia.





	Remember When...

**Author's Note:**

> Had a suggestion from a reader to have a continuation of this tickle saga years later. It took me a really long time to define a story line but here it is finally. This is just tickle related fluff with some light angst thrown in so hopefully you enjoy the silliness. Thanks for reading.

Gasping for breath Ignis pondered whether he regretted his actions but ultimately he was thankful he had done the deed. Though the repercussions were a little severe he had at least managed to distract everyone from the gloom that had been growing for weeks.  

Now to the matter at hand, convincing Noct to stop tickling and uncuff him.   “I’ve had enough Noct. Spare me. Please.”

“I don’t know about that Specs! Do you know what Gladio did to me?! It’s your entire fault.” The prince huffed from where he was seated on the back of Ignis’ thighs, pinning him face down to the bed in the caravan.  

Ignis couldn’t even deny Noct’s claim that the whole situation was his fault, because it had solely been his doing. To his charge’s credit, Noct had been trained well; he used every trick he knew including warping to subdue Ignis.  Resulting in the advisor laying belly down with his hands cuffed above his head to the headboard.  This was making it more than a little difficult to gain any ground with the prince.  

 

* * *

 

 

The whole string of events in question had started earlier that cold morning in the tent.  Short on funds the four friends had been on a weeklong hunting binge to save some gil and get a hotel at the end of the week.   They were all tired and the weather was turning chilly so camping was getting uncomfortable.

Ignis had awoken before everyone else like normal but this time he just lay in the sleeping bag and stared at the ceiling. Something was on his mind and he couldn’t quite get it to materialize clearly. Then after several minutes he realized what it was.  They all had the misfortune to stumble across a malboro the day before, the fight was won but Ignis could have sworn he heard Gladio laugh. Not a mid-battle ‘I’m going to destroy you’ cackle but a damned giggle.  

No one else seemed to notice since it was in the heat of the fray but now that Ignis lay there thinking about it he was sure it had happened.  One of the tentacles must have grabbed Gladio or brushed him enough to tickle him.  Suddenly he remembered the tickle war they had indulged in years ago and greatly missed the cheery atmosphere it had created.   Maybe he could recreate those fun times.  Asking for an all-out tickle war was not acceptable though, everyone was too busy trying to be serious.  Ignis was going to fix that.

He peered over at the rest of his friends; Gladio was sleeping in between Prompto and Noct.  Lucky for Ignis the shield had gone to bed without a shirt.  He repositioned himself and slowly reached his arm out over Prompto and quickly dug his fingers in Gladio’s ribs. 

To say mission accomplished would have been a gross understatement. Gladio shrieked first followed by a hearty laugh.  Ignis wished he could have seen his facial expression but he had quickly feigned sleep once his arm was safely tucked in his sleeping bag.

“Prompto! What the hell did you do that for? You’re gonna get it now!” Gladio bellowed as he roughly grabbed their gunner and started tickling him. 

“Ack!  Wait…” Prompto was giggling uncontrollably now.  “I didn’t… do… anything!”  He managed to wiggle free and dashed out of the tent. 

Gladio followed immediately and he felt the pounding of feet and the sounds of laughter as the two ran around the haven.  Then the vibrations stopped and he realized that Gladio had chased Prompto into the woods.

Noct slept through the whole incident.  Not even a twitch.  Ignis got up and changed while deciding what to make for breakfast.  Though he had to admit he was starting to get a little worried when he could still see no sign of Gladio or Prompto after a few minutes.  Then he heard a squeal, loud and high pitched, followed by giggling.  Gladio must have caught him.   

More time passed and he was about to venture out to see what was happening when he caught sight of Gladio trudging through the bush.  His chest tightened a bit when he noticed the shield was carrying Prompto on his back. 

“Did Prompto get injured?” Ignis asked as he jumped off the edge of the haven and quickly approached them.

“Nah, it’s all good, it’s my way of saying sorry, I don’t think blondie tickled me this morning.”

“Oh?” Ignis hummed as he turned to head back. 

“Noct is going to really get it when he wakes up.” Gladio chuckled.  “You wanna go back to sleep or what sunshine?” He asked when they reached the entrance to the tent. 

Prompto looked like he was already falling asleep on Gladio’s shoulder.  “I think that might be a yes on his part.” Ignis offered as he patted the blondes back.    

Gladio ducked and disappeared back into the tent making it look like carrying around another human was normal. Ignis continued with his tasks and enjoyed another hour to himself before Prompto woke up again. 

“No morning run?” Ignis queried.

“I got plenty of exercise earlier when Gladio chased my ass around the woods.” 

“So sorry you had to awake in that manner.”

Prompto went to respond but then stopped mid thought and started again. “It was kinda fun actually.  We haven’t roughhoused in a while so it was a nice break.”  He admitted.  “Not that I want to wake up like every day but it was a trip for sure.”

Ignis smiled and handed off a plate of pancakes to Prompto and joined him a few minutes later.  They ate in silence until Gladio got up and sat with them.  Despite the shield’s previous warning about terrorizing Noct he opted to play it cool and bide his time.

“I thought you were going to ‘get’ Noct when he woke up?” Prompto asked with a grin after breakfast was over.

“Well that was my initial plan but since princess doesn’t get up until after lunch I didn’t feel like waiting forever in the tent.” Gladio mused with a lopsided smirk.

“Any ideas of what you will do?” Ignis asked calmly.

“Probably just gonna string him up right after he goes to sleep tonight and tickle him until he almost pees.”

“hmmm… you might have trouble sleeping in the tent after that.  Perhaps you should attempt your attack now so he has all day to get you back.” Ingis offered.

Gladio smiled coyly at Ingis.  “You know I will have to deal with his annoying butt all day long right? He will ask you to help him get me back too, just like he did when this happened the first time.”

“I can handle it.”

“Very well, wish me luck; I might come out with a broken nose.”  He chuckled.  “Hey blondie give me your belt.”

“Whaa? Why?” Prompto asked surprised. 

“Cause its fabric and not leather.  It won’t hurt him as much.”

“Oh.”

Ignis thought for a moment that Prompto wouldn’t offer up his belt.  However he was pleasantly surprised when Prompto grinned wickedly and quickly removed it shucking it into Gladio’s waiting hand.   He watched Gladio walk away and duck back into the tent.  Sipping at his coffee Ignis waited for all hell to break loose, he hoped he hadn’t started something too serious.  He really just wanted his friends to have a good laugh.  

 

* * *

 

 

Taking a deep breath Gladio pushed the tent flap aside and carefully walked in.  He had Prompto’s belt in one hand and had already removed his just before he came inside the small sleeping area.  Gladio started to formulate the best way to truss him up while he knelt down on the floor.  Looking at the prince lightly snoring and completely unaware of what was to befall him.

Noct’s feet were sticking out from the covers and seemed an easy place to start.  Gingerly kneeling down Gladio carefully grabbed the prince’s left ankle and moved it into position.  Noct stirred but didn’t wake up.

After a few long minutes Gladio had successfully secured his ankles together with his belt.  Sighing he wondered how their enemies didn’t know.  All it took was to simply wait for the prince, no the king, of Lucis to fall asleep and he was a sitting duck.   Pushing that thought out of his head he unwound Prompto’s belt and thought about how to get his arms secured.

Deciding on another slow and easy tactic Gladio gently grabbed Noct’s shoulder and rolled him onto his stomach.  Noct grumbled and opened his left eye for a second.  He didn’t register anything as a threat and promptly started snoring again. 

Looping the belt around one of Noct’s wrists he slowly moved it behind his back and got ready to quickly add the other wrist.  Taking one last calm breath he completed the circuit with the belt and connected the prince’s hands together behind his back.  Noct flinched and whined trying to wake up to process the sudden movement. 

Gladio watched as the throws of sleep violently drained away from Noct’s features.   He was starting to realize he was tied up.  He felt a little guilty as he witnessed the different stages of awareness parading across Noct’s pale face.  Confusion came first, then fear, and finally anger when he laid eyes on Gladio and rolled over onto his side to confront him. 

“Gladiolus what the hell is going on?!”  He huffed.

“Just some payback for tickling me this morning.”

Noct glared at Gladio and pulled at his restraints.  “I didn’t do anything to you this morning!  I was asleep!!”

“Well I already harassed Prompto about it and it wasn’t him so that leaves you princess!” Gladio smirked as he lunged towards Noct to tickle him.

The prince surprised Gladio by warping away from his outstretched hands.  Though it didn’t do him any good,  Noct had merely moved himself from one side of the tent to the other taking his bonds with him.  Noct whined loudly and tried to shuffle backwards but didn’t make it very far.

“Nice try buttercup, but those belts are touching your skin so they go with you.” He snickered as he lunged again.  This time he met his target, Noct’s exposed side. 

The prince squealed and moved his legs to shove Gladio away.  That proved to be a mistake.  The shield grabbed Noct’s ankles and drug him across the tent floor so he could literally straddle him.   Gladio kept his weight off of the prince’s stomach as he kneeled over him. Noct was pinned in place, though he could get a halfhearted jab in with his knees to Gladio’s back but it wasn’t enough to make him move. 

Suddenly he remembered the first time he had tickle tortured Noct, it had been some stupid bet they had made.  He couldn’t even remember what it was but he did recall having fun. The one thing that stood out to him from that experience was that Noct had a hard time laughing.  He needed to figure out how to fix that. 

Noct sucked in a breath when Gladio slowly inched his hands towards his now exposed stomach.  “No, no, no… Gladio please don’t!” 

“You’re not getting out of this one!” Gladio rumbled.

Instead of going all out and tickling him like a mad man, Gladio decided to gently drag his fingers across his torso.  It had the desired effect and the prince let out a giggle instead of a squeal.   Gladio kept testing the pressure of his fingers and poking his sides and stomach.  After a few minutes Noct was a teary, giggling mess.  He was squirming beneath the shield and still attempting to get away. 

“Hnnh… Gladio….” Noct giggled while gasping for breath.  “I didn’t tickle…. You… this morning.”  Squealing suddenly and rolling his head back into the cushion when Gladio poked him in a sensitive spot.  “Please!” He begged.  “You… gotta… believe me!” 

The shield stopped his efforts and stared at Noct.  He was red in the face and tears were streaming down his slender cheeks.  His chest was heaving trying to supply enough oxygen to his heart to keep from passing out.  “So not you huh?” Gladio finally asked as he got up and off of Noct.

It took a few minutes before Noct could answer as he was working to gain his composure.  “The only one left that could have done the deed wears glasses and is sometimes known to plan things.”

“I knew you were going to say that.  Why though?  What the hell would make Iggy just up and start a tickle war?” Gladio asked perplexed.

“Can you please untie me? Then we can speculate all you want.” Noct pleaded.

Gladio grunted and leaned over to release Noct’s feet.  He untangled his belt and threaded it around his waist again.  He was so lost in thought over the reason why Ignis would have tickled him that he had inadvertently stalled in helping the prince. 

“Big guy? You really gonna make me go out there and ask for help?”

Gladio looked over to Noct and he had managed to sit up and had his puppy dog eyes pointed right at him.  “Huh… oh sorry.  Just thinking about Iggy.”  He gently untied Noct’s wrists and wound up Prompto’s belt setting it aside.    “C’mere I’ll give you a shoulder rub to loosen you up.”

Noct scrambled over the remaining blankets and pillows to plop down in front of the shield.  He wasn’t going to turn down a massage.  “So I think I should feign being mad at you for the rest of the day and then later we can get Iggy back.”

“Think it will work, he is a strategist.  He might see that move coming.”

“Nah we got this.”  He paused and then yelled loudly. “Ack!! Gladio!  Stop!!” 

Gladio flinched at first until he realized what Noct was up to.  He quickly caught on and added to the banter. “Never!” He shouted back.  “We can’t overdo it ya know.  He will get suspicious.

“Pffff… stop worrying so much.” Noct retorted. 

 

* * *

 

 

Ignis had tried to start a casual conversation with Prompto but he was too distracted listening to the squeals of the laughter coming from the tent. 

“Guess Gladio figured out how to get him to laugh this time around.”  Prompto mused.

“Yes, it’s good to hear to him laugh.”

So far so good, his plan was working.  His friends were getting distracted with this silly activity.   It wasn’t long before Noct came storming out of the tent and starting yelling at Ignis for letting Gladio in the tent to do that to him. 

He nodded and tried to calm him down, only marginally succeeding when he offered Noct a plate of pancakes.   “Did you not have fun?” Ignis asked finally.

“No! You try getting woken up and tickled attacked it’s NOT fun!”  He huffed. 

The advisor thought he might have seen a glimmer of humor in his charges eyes but he let it pass.  They all decided to pack up camp once Gladio came out of the tent.  Even grumpy Noct seemed happy at the suggestion of renting a caravan at the next outpost. 

 

* * *

 

 

Ignis should have seen it earlier, he had suspected that Gladio and Noct were up to something but it was far too late in the game to do anything about it.   He had been overwhelmed by his prince and subdued, literally. 

Once they had arrived at the caravan Gladio had dragged Prompto off to get take out claiming to want a break from camp meals for the night.   Ignis was unpacking and getting everything ready when he was quite forcefully ambushed by Noct. 

He had used the element of surprise and Ignis wasn’t in the right mindset to attack his prince with any force.  Ignis definitely wasn’t expecting to get cuffed to the bed but as Noct sat on top of him doing his worst he could tell Noct was having fun. 

His mission was successful, though at this point breathing was becoming a problem.  Noct wasn’t letting up and he wasn’t sure how much more tickling he could take.  “Noct!   Ack!”  He giggled into the pillow and gasped for another breath of air.  “Please… I… might pass… out….” He rasped. 

Noct was surprisingly good at keeping him from twisting around.  Ignis wasn’t thrashing his legs as he didn’t want to hurt Noct but he needed a break. 

“Highness… Please…” He gasped in between breaths. 

Noct finally let up and leaned back.  “So Specs… Why did you do it?  Gladio and I know it was you this morning.” 

Groaning into the bedding Ignis struggled to compose himself enough to answer the question.  He hadn’t quite caught his breath yet but he sputtered out a response anyway.  “We all… needed a break… from the real world…. I just wanted you… all to be happy for a bit.” 

There was a stillness in the room after he spoke.  Ignis thought that Noct had seen something to distract him but when he turned his head the prince was staring right at him.  He had tears in the corner of his big beautiful blue eyes.

“Of course you would think of something like that.  Gods Iggy – I – damn it, I feel like an ass.” 

Ignis flinched when Noct suddenly grabbed his shirt with two fists and bent over Ignis’ back to collect himself.  “Highness?  Please let me loose.  I don’t want you to be upset.  I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I was trying to make you feel better.” 

Noct sat up and sniffled a little, but he smiled kindly as he looked down at his worried advisor.  “You don’t have to be sorry about anything.” 

Before he could add anything more to the conversation Gladio and Prompto came back into the caravan.    

“Whoa!  What did you do to Ignis?!” Prompto blurted as he came into the room.  “Iggy are you okay?” 

“I’ll be better once I’m free but I’m okay.” He answered weakly. 

“Noct where did you get handcuffs?” Gladio asked incredulously.

The prince grinned sheepishly and carefully got off of Ignis’ back.  “Um, remember that time when I thought that glaive was a spy.” 

Gladio squinted at him.  “Yes, but how exactly does having a pair of handcuffs come into play?”     

“I wanted to be prepared in case we needed to detain him so I added them to the armiger.”

“Noct… That was four years ago and you were wrong by the way, about him.” Gladio huffed. “So what are you waiting for use the key and let Iggy go.”

The prince licked his lips once and stared at the floor.  “I never put the keys with them.  I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.” 

Ignis sighed heavily and tried to drag his tired body forward to sit up but his arm twisted sideways in the bedding and he fell sideways.  “I suppose I deserve this.”  He winced as his wrists chaffed against the metal of the cuffs.

“Aww Iggy… Don’t be like that.  I can get you out of those things just give me a second.” Gladio patted his back and wandered off into the other room.  When he returned a moment later with a little leather case he shooed Prompto out of the way and sat next to Ignis on the bed. Within a few minutes Gladio had used some tiny tools in the case and freed the advisor.

“Gladio? I asked him why he did it.” Noct announced solemnly from the middle of the bed.  “He told me he was trying to give us a break and make us laugh.” 

“Did it work?” Ignis quietly asked from where he had rolled over on the bed. 

Rolling his eyes Gladio grabbed Ignis shirt and pulled him upright and into a big bear hug.  “Of course it worked you dumbass, your plans always work.” 

Caught off guard it took a moment for Ignis’ body to relax into Gladio’s hug and then he fumbled around with his arm until he found Noct and pulled him into the hug as well.  

“Group hug!” Prompto shouted as he bounced on the bed and joined in.     

“Thanks Specs, You’re the best.”  Noct mumbled into the warmth of bodies he was clinging to. 

“I try.” He hummed.  “Now can we please bury those handcuffs so if I start another tickle war I won’t have to fear the repercussions?”        

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on Tumblr if you want. [Bbn846 Blog](https://bgn846.tumblr.com/)
> 
> FYI - May or may not have made up some rules about warping to suit my needs.  
> Also totally HC that lock picking was part of crownsguard training.


End file.
